A daily dispatch from Mankato.
Practice snapshot
Yes, it's tough to judge completion statistics when it's the third day of training camp and the first day in full pads since January. However …
It's safe to say starting Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder remains consistently inconsistent. In Monday's 11-on-11 competition, he completed four of 12 passes.
Pressure was a contributing factor. Although there was no contact on the quarterback, the action at the line of scrimmage was live.
Ponder was "sacked" twice, had one pass batted down at the line and threw another ball away because of pressure. He also had one drop by rookie free-agent fullback Zach Line, subbing for Jerome Felton, who missed part of practice because of a personal matter. Ponder also had a deep ball to Jerome Simpson come down about four yards out of bounds.
Cassel to Burton a highlight
Meanwhile, Ponder's backup, Matt Cassel, completed eight of 11 passes during 11-on-11 competition. He also had one drop. Stephen Burton, a receiver on the bubble, was the player of the day. He caught two deep balls, one in fairly tight coverage and the other against a blown coverage. His third catch came at the goal line, when he held on for a touchdown despite taking a hard hit to the back.
From the podium
Frazier was asked if 199-pound cornerback Josh Robinson had been asked to gain weight because he is replacing Antoine Winfield at the nickel slot position. For nine years with the Vikings, Winfield was one of the league's best tacklers and a physical force in the slot. But Winfield also was only 185 pounds. "No, [Robinson's] weight is fine," Frazier said. "[Playing the slot] is more about instincts and awareness than it is about weight gain and strength gain."
Camp Chatter
"When I say I'm working for the Feds today, it means I'm miked up."
